Aeration and Glucose Concentration on Saccharomyces boulardii Probiotic Cultivation/ Aeração e concentração de glicose no cultivo probiótico de saccharomyces boulardii

Saccharomyces boulardii viable cells have probiotic action. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of aeration on the production of S. boulardii viable cells in liquid cultivation medium with different initial glucose concentrations. Yeast has grown on yeast extract peptone dextrose medium with or without aeration (2 Lar min-1 to obtain 30 ± 1% of oxygen) and different initial glucose concentrations (20, 40 and 60 g L-1). The viable cells were determined by serial dilution method and glucose concentration was determined by 3-5 dinitrosalicylic acid. The number of viable cells changed from 7.54 ± 0.04 to 7.77 ± 0.02 log of CFU mL-1 when glucose increased from 20 to 60 g L-1, respectively. The aeration of the cultivation medium increased the number of viable cells from 7.78 ± 0.04 to 8.27 ± 0.04 log of CFU mL-1 in the cultivation medium with 40 g L-1 glucose. The yeast biomass was ~3 times greater than 60 g L-1 glucose with aeration when compared to cultivation medium with 20 g L-1 glucose without aeration. Thus, the glucose increase and the cultivation medium aeration increment S. boulardii production and viability.As células viáveis de Saccharomyces boulardii têm ação probiótica. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito da aeração na produção de células viáveis de S. boulardii em meio de cultivo líquido com diferentes concentrações iniciais de glicose. A levedura cresceu em meio de peptona dextrose com extrato de levedura com ou sem aeração (2 Lar min-1 para obter 30 ± 1% de oxigênio) e diferentes concentrações iniciais de glicose (20, 40 e 60 g L-1). As células viáveis foram determinadas pelo método de diluição em série e a concentração de glicose foi determinada por 3-5 ácido dinitrosalicílico. O número de células viáveis mudou de 7,54 ± 0,04 para 7,77 ± 0,02 log de UFC UFC-1 quando a glicose aumentou de 20 para 60 g L-1, respectivamente. A aeração do meio de cultivo aumentou o número de células viáveis de 7,78 ± 0,04 para 8,27 ± 0,04 log de UFC UFC-1 no meio de cultivo com 40 g L-1 de glicose. A biomassa de levedura foi ~ 3 vezes maior que 60 g L-1 de glicose com aeração quando comparada ao meio de cultivo com 20 g L-1 de glicose sem aeração. Assim, o aumento da glicose e a aeração do meio de cultivo aumentam a produção e a viabilidade de S. boulardii

Clinical Impact of Monoclonal Antibodies in the Treatment of High-Risk Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Breakthrough Infections:The ORCHESTRA Prospective Cohort Study

The clinical impact of anti-spike monoclonal antibodies (mAb) in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) breakthrough infections is unclear. We present the results of an observational prospective cohort study assessing and comparing COVID-19 progression in high-risk outpatients receiving mAb according to primary or breakthrough infection. Clinical, serological and virological predictors associated with 28-day COVID-19-related hospitalization were identified using multivariate logistic regression and summarized with odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 847 COVID-19 outpatients were included: 414 with primary and 433 with breakthrough infection. Hospitalization was observed in 42/414 (10.1%) patients with primary and 8/433 (1.8%) patients with breakthrough infection (p &lt; 0.001). aOR for hospitalization was significantly lower for breakthrough infection (aOR 0.12, 95%CI: 0.05–0.27, p &lt; 0.001) and higher for immunocompromised status (aOR:2.35, 95%CI:1.08–5.08, p = 0.003), advanced age (aOR:1.06, 95%CI: 1.03–1.08, p &lt; 0.001), and male gender (aOR:1.97, 95%CI: 1.04–3.73, p = 0.037). Among the breakthrough infection group, the median SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike IgGs was lower (p &lt; 0.001) in immunocompromised and elderly patients &gt;75 years compared with that in the immunocompetent patients. Our findings suggest that, among mAb patients, those with breakthrough infection have significantly lower hospitalization risk compared with patients with primary infection. Prognostic algorithms combining clinical and immune-virological characteristics are needed to ensure appropriate and up-to-date clinical protocols targeting high-risk categories.</p

Associations between depressive symptoms and disease progression in older patients with chronic kidney disease: results of the EQUAL study

Background Depressive symptoms are associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with end-stage kidney disease; however, few small studies have examined this association in patients with earlier phases of chronic kidney disease (CKD). We studied associations between baseline depressive symptoms and clinical outcomes in older patients with advanced CKD and examined whether these associations differed depending on sex. Methods CKD patients (&gt;= 65 years; estimated glomerular filtration rate &lt;= 20 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) were included from a European multicentre prospective cohort between 2012 and 2019. Depressive symptoms were measured by the five-item Mental Health Inventory (cut-off &lt;= 70; 0-100 scale). Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to study associations between depressive symptoms and time to dialysis initiation, all-cause mortality and these outcomes combined. A joint model was used to study the association between depressive symptoms and kidney function over time. Analyses were adjusted for potential baseline confounders. Results Overall kidney function decline in 1326 patients was -0.12 mL/min/1.73 m(2)/month. A total of 515 patients showed depressive symptoms. No significant association was found between depressive symptoms and kidney function over time (P = 0.08). Unlike women, men with depressive symptoms had an increased mortality rate compared with those without symptoms [adjusted hazard ratio 1.41 (95% confidence interval 1.03-1.93)]. Depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with a higher hazard of dialysis initiation, or with the combined outcome (i.e. dialysis initiation and all-cause mortality). Conclusions There was no significant association between depressive symptoms at baseline and decline in kidney function over time in older patients with advanced CKD. Depressive symptoms at baseline were associated with a higher mortality rate in men

THE MED-CSD PROJECT: POTENTIAL FOR CSP DESALINATION DEVELOPMENT IN MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES

Within the MED-CSD project feasibility studies of integrated hybrid Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) and Seawater Desalination (SD) plants were carried out in selected Mediterranean countries (Morocco, Italy, Cyprus, Palestinian National Authority and Egypt). After a review on CSP and desalination technologies, 10 typical locations within the 5 partner countries have been selected. For every location a CSP-desalination plant was modelled. The model bases on hourly time series of solar irradiance, ambient temperature and wind speed and includes local seasonal and hourly load curves for power and water. Surplus energy from the solar field is fed into thermal energy storage, so that operation is possible at night and during cloud transients; gaps between demand and solar power production are covered by co-firing with fossil fuel. Different plant configurations (solar field type, desalination technology) have been compared. In the subsequent step the results of the technical model have been evaluated in a techno-economic model to analyze the economic feasibility and the required financial frame conditions of the projects. Furthermore, an analysis of the market potential of concentrating solar power for sea water desalination in the Mediterranean Region and socioeconomic and environmental impact analysis were implemented